The Restoration Shop
This is where the magic happens. Owning and maintaining wooden vessels is a huge undertaking and this is where we do it. From the restoration of classic vessels to the creation of new pieces for one of our own-The boat shop is a critical part of our ability to maintain and sail our fleet. Are you Interested in working on wooden vessels? We welcome you to stop in any Tuesday or Thursday from 9am to noon to see what is on the current project list and get involved!
We need to find a new home for our shops so that our highly skilled volunteers have a place to maintain our ships in top condition for the enjoyment of our community for years to come. We are currently looking within a five-mile radius of the pier to find a new home to do our work, teach others and invite community participation. If you have a tip for us, we appreciate it! Please email heather@maritimeheritagealliance.org
Scroll through the gallery below to view a sampling of projects from recent years!
A brief history of the Restoration Shop
MHA built the tall ship Madeline with volunteer labor and community donations, launching her in 1990. With the remodel of Clinch Park Marina in 2002, MHA, needing alternative dock space, was given use of the “coal dock” harbor and shore-side parcel.
An MHA Board member wrote Mike Dow requesting a donation of his 50’ of frontage at the harbor. He sweetened the deal, offering his property on the west side of M-22; his conditions were that the property serve the public, and MHA had to come up with a business plan.
When MHA couldn’t do this alone, a group of non-profits, MHA, TACS, Inland Seas, Children’s Museum, and Watershed Center came together to manage the property as Discovery Center Great Lakes; Rotary Camps got involved to accept the property donation.
For nearly 2 decades, the non-profits have had a home. MHA spent thousands of dollars on leasehold improvements to customize the workshops and office space to meet our needs. This was a permanent place where we could expand our programs to preserve maritime history, do maintenance and repairs on our fleet of wood boats, offer workshops, education, and sailing experiences to the community, for free or a nominal fee. After Rotary took the opportunity to purchase the “coal dock” property in 2018, the original DCGL Board was dissolved and a new DCGL Rotary member-only board was set up.
Since that time, plans on the shore side of the street have evolved and we will not be able to continue utilizing this side of the street for our operations. We are still a partner on the pier but need to find a new boat shop.